SAN FRANCISCO, November 24, (THEWILL) –Â Martin Braithwaite’s brace helped Barcelona ease to a 4-0 whipping of Dynamo Kiev in their UEFA Champions League Group G fixture on Tuesday as Barca booked a place in the last 16 for the 17th season in a row.
The Blaugrana completed the victory without their talismanic player Lionel Messi. The Argentine did not make the trip to Kiev after manager Ronald Koeman decided it was wiser to give him a break following a hectic schedule than risk injury with Barca already so close to qualifying suffering injuries to key players.
Instead, Koeman rotated his squad giving first season starts to central midfielder Carles Alena, left back Junior Firpo and centre forward Braithwaite, while Oscar Mingueza, Spanish centre back, made his first-team debut as well.
Although the youthful Blaugrana displayed signs of early promise, the hosts had the first meaningful attempt with Barca goalie Marc-Andre ter Stegen alert to save Carlos de Pena’s scuffed shot.
Central attacking midfielder Philippe Coutinho curled a free-kick wide from distance in the 27th minute. Barca’s only shot on target during a drab first half was Francisco Trincao’s dipping effort, which was easily gathered by George Bushchan in the Dynamo goal.
Whatever Koeman discussed with his charges at the break appeared to have worked. They stepped up the tempo in the second period and soon enough took the lead with a well-crafted goal. Braithwaite slid the ball through for Sergino Dest, who crisply angled a low finish into the net.
Barca were two goals to the good shortly before the hour-mark. Braithwaite took the honours by stabbing home at the back post after Mingueza’s deft flick from Alena’s corner. The youngsters were running the show.
Braithwaite, who remained a constant thorn on the Dynamo defenders’ sides, won a penalty in the 69th minute after he was fouled by Denys Popov, Ukrainian centre back. The Denmark striker confidently stepped up to send the spot-kick high into the corner of the net for his double.
The remainder of the contest passed without much in terms of a Dynamo threat. Barca’s Riqui Puig even missed a sitter for Barcelona late on when he fired over the crossbar when through on goal.
It was Antoine Griezmann, a 66th-minute replacement for Coutinho, who added a fourth in injury time when he swept the ball home with a lethal clinical finish.
Barcelona has fared better in the Champions League this season with displays that look nothing like their domestic form suggests. This victory ensured they won all of their first four group-stage games in the Champions League for the first time since the 2002-2003 campaign. Now, if they can only transfer that form to La Liga.
Koeman’s side welcome Osasuna to Camp Nou on Sunday while Dynamo host Vorskla in the Ukrainian Premier League a day earlier.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
